RJ04-Reflective Journal Entry 4- Due Sunday, March 27, 2010
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school*?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
When I started out this semester, I had many conflicts in what type of teacher I thought I wanted to be, because I could see that there were benefits to being the strict disciplinary type, and the more relaxed and unstructured teacher. To be able to accomplish the latter, students must respect you as a person and a teacher, so I had to establish myself with them before I could reach my ultimate goal. I have found by this point that i do not have to keep most of my classes extremely structured, and they appear to be more of a community of learners instead of a teacher to pupil relationship. I am very happy with this set up because I want students to be able to take control of their own learning. For one of my classes, it was much more difficult to avoid the game of school, because they are not in general motivated to succeed for the sake of knowledge, and are really looking for a superficial experience where they receive notes, study them, and "pass." I am still working to refine their image of science, with immersion in labs and group activities so that they can relate science to a more social curriculum.
I am really happy with my day to day, even day to week lesson planning. Students have received a multitude of opportunities to exhibit their knowledge, and I have put myself out their for students to communicate with if they are having problems. I have taken on the challenge of providing many students with individual attention, and staying on top of their work. I have also really enjoyed challenging my accelerated students. I change the type of tests and quizzes they take, and have different focuses for most lab activities. I do not want them to get comfortable with a style of teaching, and do well because of this fact, I want them to get comfortable with critical thinking and being able to use these skills in any type of situation. I am very happy with the personal connections I have made in all my classes.
I think that I really need to work on the fluency of the entire unit. The past three weeks have been material that I planned all at once and tweeked as I went, which showed major improvement of continuity from class to class. I am also concerned with the fact that when I focus my energy on prompting one student to complete their work, another one that I worked with previously drops off, or falls behind again. I also want to involve more case studies and analysis of data for my accelerated course, because getting comfortable with concluding on data is so crucial. It represents a unique skill in science that should be taken on by this group.
I see my success in the way that the other members of my department have allowed me to participate, and involve me in curriculum decisions. It has become a mutual relationship where they value my opinion and input. I also see my success in the willingness students have to stay after to work with me, and the respect they show me in class. It shows me that they know that if they put in the time I will help them to be successful, which is very important to me. I see my difficulties I am having in the students that are still failing, or not doing well, as well as the students that are not being challenged because I am testing on a lighter level to get the failing students back on track. It is difficult to find the medium and I am very disappointed when I cannot help a particular student.
I want to change the relationship my school has with the University of Rhode Island while I am here, and help them forge a relationship/partnership with my university that will help the department after I am gone. I feel that I have strong connections in the Biology field, and that I can bridge the gap for them, which would be a real achievement for me as well as the science department here. I want to feel as though I helped out the community in a positive way, more than just being a short term educator.
RJ04-Reflective Journal Entry 4- Due Sunday, March 27, 2010
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school*?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
When I started out this semester, I had many conflicts in what type of teacher I thought I wanted to be, because I could see that there were benefits to being the strict disciplinary type, and the more relaxed and unstructured teacher. To be able to accomplish the latter, students must respect you as a person and a teacher, so I had to establish myself with them before I could reach my ultimate goal. I have found by this point that i do not have to keep most of my classes extremely structured, and they appear to be more of a community of learners instead of a teacher to pupil relationship. I am very happy with this set up because I want students to be able to take control of their own learning. For one of my classes, it was much more difficult to avoid the game of school, because they are not in general motivated to succeed for the sake of knowledge, and are really looking for a superficial experience where they receive notes, study them, and "pass." I am still working to refine their image of science, with immersion in labs and group activities so that they can relate science to a more social curriculum.I am really happy with my day to day, even day to week lesson planning. Students have received a multitude of opportunities to exhibit their knowledge, and I have put myself out their for students to communicate with if they are having problems. I have taken on the challenge of providing many students with individual attention, and staying on top of their work. I have also really enjoyed challenging my accelerated students. I change the type of tests and quizzes they take, and have different focuses for most lab activities. I do not want them to get comfortable with a style of teaching, and do well because of this fact, I want them to get comfortable with critical thinking and being able to use these skills in any type of situation. I am very happy with the personal connections I have made in all my classes.
I think that I really need to work on the fluency of the entire unit. The past three weeks have been material that I planned all at once and tweeked as I went, which showed major improvement of continuity from class to class. I am also concerned with the fact that when I focus my energy on prompting one student to complete their work, another one that I worked with previously drops off, or falls behind again. I also want to involve more case studies and analysis of data for my accelerated course, because getting comfortable with concluding on data is so crucial. It represents a unique skill in science that should be taken on by this group.
I see my success in the way that the other members of my department have allowed me to participate, and involve me in curriculum decisions. It has become a mutual relationship where they value my opinion and input. I also see my success in the willingness students have to stay after to work with me, and the respect they show me in class. It shows me that they know that if they put in the time I will help them to be successful, which is very important to me. I see my difficulties I am having in the students that are still failing, or not doing well, as well as the students that are not being challenged because I am testing on a lighter level to get the failing students back on track. It is difficult to find the medium and I am very disappointed when I cannot help a particular student.
I want to change the relationship my school has with the University of Rhode Island while I am here, and help them forge a relationship/partnership with my university that will help the department after I am gone. I feel that I have strong connections in the Biology field, and that I can bridge the gap for them, which would be a real achievement for me as well as the science department here. I want to feel as though I helped out the community in a positive way, more than just being a short term educator.